Echinacea Max-V 250 mg 60 VCaps

Native Americans traditionally used echinacea totreat a variety of disorders, primarily infections andother conditions where enhancement of the immunesystem was needed. Echinacea’s therapeutic efficacywas recognized by Western medical science in thelate 19th century. Today, echinacea is best known as anon-specific, immuno-supporting botanical.Echinacea has no direct effects on infective agentsthemselves. Instead, echinacea works by supportingthe body’s own natural defense mechanisms.Polysaccharides, caffeic acid and its derivatives(chicoric acid), and alkamides are principalsubstances thought to be responsible for echinacea’simmuno-supporting properties.Clinical studies have demonstrated that echinaceasignificantly increases the numbers of monocytes andnatural-killer (NK) cells in both the spleen and bonemarrow within weeks after dietary supplementation.Similarly, in healthy and chronic fatigue syndromeindividuals echinacea extract enhances not only NKcell function, but also antibody-dependent celltoxicity against herpes virus 6 cells. Laboratorystudies have shown that echinacea activatesmacrophages, stimulating production of the cytokinesTNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-10.The polysaccharide fraction of echinacea, includingheteroxylan and arabinogalactan, is thought to bepartially responsible for its ability to activatemacrophages and increase their production of TNFalpha.This polysaccharide component of echinaceaalso has anti-inflammatory activity.Scientific studies also suggest that echinacea mayenhance immune function by increasing antigenspecificimmunoglobulin production. Echinaceatreatedanimals show a significant enhancement oftheir IgG response to antigen.Echinacea's enhanced production of the immunesystem cells on the first line of defense againstinvading pathogens suggests an importantprophylactic role for this botanical.